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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29161032">wrap your arms around me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049'>katie_049</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Things [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Post 9x02, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:35:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29161032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt and Sylvie finally find their way back to each other during a harrowing call that leaves the house on edge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide, Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Little Things [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>204</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So this is it! The last part of Little Things. Of course, like all the other parts, this one got away from me too, and I guess this will be three parts? I'm not sure yet, but we'll see. It's the conclusion to the entire story, and it will have a lot of fluff and sweet moments for our favorite couple. This first part just sets up the rest! </p>
<p>Thank you guys for sticking with this story! </p>
<p>P.S. I got a lot of prompts, and I will do all of them, but it's gonna take a bit of time, so be patient with me. I haven't forgotten them!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The new week had started great for Sylvie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Tuesday, Stella had come back from the lieutenant’s test with a gigantic smile on her face, acing the practical part with ease. Her best friend even had a good feeling about the written test, and Sylvie was sure she had passed that one with flying colors as well. The results would come sometime in the next few weeks, so they had to wait, but it hadn’t stopped them from celebrating at Molly’s after the test.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first, it had just been Stella and her, but when Stella had gotten a bit tipsier, the two of them had moved tables to join Severide, Matt, Gallo, and the rest of squad. When Matt had pulled up a chair next to his, Gallo, who sat next to him, had made space, scooting to the side to create just enough space for the chair. With that many people around one table, it had been a tight fit, but it had worked in Sylvie’s favor. The second she had slipped into her chair, Matt had thrown his arm over her chair, and just like that, she had been tugged into his side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their casual intimacy had grown ever since their talk, and it felt wonderful. They had quickly fallen into certain habits, like sitting closely together at Molly’s or drinking their first coffee together at the station.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today hadn’t been any different. When she had walked into the common room, Matt had greeted her with a smile on his face, sitting at the long table with two coffee mugs standing in front of him. They had chatted about their days off, watching as the rest of their colleagues made their way into the room to have breakfast. At some point, 61 had gotten their first call, and Matt had squeezed her shoulder, telling her to be careful. Another new habit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day was going fine until it didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An all-units call had brought them to a warehouse fire just a few blocks from the station. Most of the workers had evacuated already, but a couple of men, who had been working near the fire, had still been missing. Together with engine, 81 had set out towards the fire, but just as they had reached it, something had exploded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a few harrowing minutes, nobody had responded over the radio, and Sylvie’s heart had leaped into her throat. Her legs had felt shaky, and her clammy hands had gripped tightly onto the door of the ambulance as the next few minutes stretched endlessly. In reality, it had only taken squad about two minutes to relocate towards the explosion, and soon Severide’s voice had boomed through the radio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chief, we’ve got them. Herrmann’s down, but the others are fine. We’re coming out now. We need another engine company to take over the fire,” Severide’s voice crackled through her radio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A breath of relief left her lungs, and she turned towards Mackey, gesturing to the ambulance. Matt was fine. There was no need to worry about him any longer. Her focus needed to lie on Herrmann now. Severide hadn’t said how bad it was, and Sylvie prayed it was just some smoke inhalation or a concussion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brett, Mackey, get ready for Herrmann!” Boden’s voice yelled over to them, and it gave Sylvie the last push to concentrate on her job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as the two paramedics had pulled out the stretcher and opened the ambo bag next to them on the rig, Severide, Cruz, Tony, and Capp came out carrying Herrmann.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s unconscious and bleeding pretty bad from his right thigh. He stood right in front of the center of the explosion, knocking back Ritter and Dale when it hit,” Severide explained as they moved the firefighter onto the stretcher.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of reflex, Sylvie’s eyes scanned the crowd for Matt, and when she couldn’t spot him, an uneasy feeling spread through her. She pushed it down though as her eyes scanned over Herrmann’s body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took her one look to know it was bad, and another kind of fear settled deep in her bones. Reaching out to press her fingers to his neck, she felt for his pulse. It was there, but it was weak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mackey, pack his thigh. Cruz, Tony, take off his turnout coat,” she instructed as she grabbed the intubation kit. His lungs were wheezing with every breath he took, and she needed to secure his airway before it would swell up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her colleagues got to work without hesitation, but the air around them was thick, tension rolling off all of them. Herrmann was one of their own, and they couldn’t lose him. This was all a bit too similar to the way they lost Otis almost two years ago, and Sylvie would be damned if she let that happen. Herrmann was not dying. Not on her watch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luckily, his airways weren’t burnt too badly, and Sylvie managed to intubate him on the first try. Cruz and Tony pulled off his turnout coat just as she grabbed the heart rate monitor with one hand while bagging the unconscious man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brett, I can’t stop the bleeding,” Mackey called out to her, sounding panicked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pressing the bagging valve mask into Cruz’s hands, Sylvie quickly attached the pads to Herrmann’s chest. She briefly glanced towards Mackey who was still working to stop the bleeding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her partner had cut open Herrmann’s turnout pants, revealing an open thigh fracture. It looked nasty. No wonder it was bleeding this heavily. “Pack it as tight as you can and then we’ll go. You’re driving,” Sylvie directed at Mackey in a firm tone as she turned on the monitor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His stats weren’t good at all, and they needed to hurry. Not waiting for her mentee’s answer, Sylvie started to strap the firefighter to the stretcher as she got him ready for transport. When she turned around to move the ambo bag out of the way, her eyes finally caught sight of Matt who was standing just a few feet away from them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her heart stopped when she saw half of his face covered in blood, dripping out of a long, angry cut on his forehead. He looked dazed, his eyes wide as he stared onto Herrmann.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took every last bit of her self-control to not run over to him right away. The urge to make sure he was OK almost overwhelmed her, but she forced herself to stay rooted in her spot. He was conscious and standing on his own two feet. Apart from the cut on his head, there seemed to be nothing wrong with him. He couldn’t be her priority right now. Herrmann was in a critical condition, and her focus needed to be on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sucking in a quick breath, Sylvie let her gaze shift back to the ambo bag in front of her. She quickly threw the dispersed supplies into it, before closing the top and lifting it onto the bench in the back of the rig.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m ready,” Mackey yelled out in the next second, and Sylvie glanced over her shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s load him up.” Climbing into the ambulance, Sylvie grabbed the BVM back from Cruz as her colleagues pushed the stretcher into the ambulance. When it clicked into the locks, she quickly attached the portable ventilator before throwing another look into Matt’s direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Casey, you’re coming too,” Sylvie called out to him in a last-minute decision.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His forehead was still bleeding, and she knew she could never fully concentrate on Herrmann if she left him behind. She needed to know he was OK.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt had stepped closer to the ambulance with the rest of their friends, but he didn’t react to her words. His gaze never wavered from Herrmann, and he only blinked when more blood dripped down his brow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt! Get into the ambulance!” It sounded more like an order than anything else, and any other day, it might have gotten her into trouble, but today she couldn’t care less.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It snapped the captain out of his daze, his eyes flying to hers. His posture relaxed when he saw her, taking her in for a second before he moved and climbed into the ambulance, sitting down on the bench.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re gonna meet you at the hospital,” Boden told her as he closed one of the doors of the ambo. Sylvie nodded at him hastily, before he closed the second one too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the doors closed, Sylvie glanced at the heart rate monitor. Herrmann’s stats weren’t going up, so she grabbed more supplies to start an IV. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Matt leaning his head against the wall, his eyes closing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt! You better not lose consciousness on me,” Sylvie warned him, planting her feet wider as the ambulance started to move. “Grab some gauze and push it against your forehead. It’s bleeding pretty bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He followed her instructions, taking a package of gauze from the ambo bag next to him, opening it, and pressing the gauze to his face with a soft hiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” he then mumbled, reaching his hand out to her. It landed on her back, rubbing over her thick coat. “Focus on Herrmann.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to have a serious discussion about your use of the word fine. Severide’s too,” Sylvie pressed out, taking a deep breath. Opening the plastic package in front of her, she pulled out the needle for the IV.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise, Sylvie. The explosion knocked me off my feet, and I hit my head on the way down. It’s just a cut,” he clarified, but his voice didn’t sound too convincing to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pushing the needle into Herrmann’s arm, Sylvie fastened the IV and connected a bag of saline to it. He had lost a lot of blood, and judging from the soaked, red gauze on his thigh, he was still bleeding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie glanced over her shoulder to check on Matt. The gauze was already soaked with blood, staining the man’s fingers red. It didn’t sit well with her. It should have stopped bleeding by now, especially with the added pressure on it now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes took him in a second longer, scanning his face for any sort of discomfort. His head was leaning against the wall, but his eyes followed her movements. That was good. It meant that he wasn’t dizzy or nauseous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a cut that’s still bleeding,” she corrected him, grabbing more gauze from one of the cabinets above her and handing it to the man behind her. “Change the gauze and keep putting pressure on it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and he blinked at her softly, his hand falling from her back. “Please concentrate on Herrmann. I promise I’ll be fine,” he urged her as he grabbed the gauze from her and pushed it against his forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing hard, she chose to trust his words for now. They would arrive at the hospital soon, and as long as he was up and talking, he couldn’t have any serious damage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie turned away from him, quickly starting to repack Herrmann’s femur fracture. Mackey had done a good job with it, which made the fact he was still bleeding a lot worse. Grabbing more gauze, she pushed it against the stained dressing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she worked to fasten it, the silence in the ambulance agitated her jumbled mind. She had tried to push any negative thoughts about Herrmann’s state out of her mind, but his condition was worsening every passing second, and Matt’s silence behind her didn’t help either. She once again lost her focus, finding herself glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to check on Matt until she couldn’t take it anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you please just put your hand on my back again, so I know you’re not passing out on me?” The blonde blurted out in frustration, her eyes watering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t dare to look back to him, but Matt’s hand landed on her back within seconds, and it never left it until the ambulance stopped a few minutes later at Med.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Handing over Herrmann took longer than Sylvie had anticipated. After Dr. Marcel had taken over and the firefighter was lying on the hospital bed of the ED, Sylvie and Mackey pushed the stretcher out of the room and into the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie knew Herrmann was in the best possible hands, but it didn’t make things any easier. Herrmann was one of their own, and he had gone through enough in his life. When Cindy and their kids popped into her mind, Sylvie had felt her throat choke up. Those kids couldn’t lose their father. No, they didn’t deserve to lose their father. They had a full life ahead of them. One that Herrmann needed to witness alongside them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Memories of losing Julie almost exactly a year ago had flooded her brain, and she had barely been able to get a grip on her emotions. Right before they burst out of her, she had clenched her jaw, pressing her teeth together tightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Sylvie had grabbed onto the tablet to fill out their paperwork. Mackey had stood silently beside her, not uttering a word, which had pulled Sylvie’s focus onto her partner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was her first big in-house accident, and while she hadn’t had the same deep connection to Herrmann as Sylvie herself or most of their other colleagues had, she had gotten to know him over the last months too. Sylvie still didn’t know a lot about her partner’s life growing up, but she did know that the young woman had lost her brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ED wasn’t the place to have a deep conversation with Mackey though, so Sylvie had suggested that her partner could start on stocking up the ambo. It gave her something to do, and Gianna had agreed instantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she finished up the paperwork, her mind drifted back to Matt. The captain had followed them into the ED almost half an hour ago, and in the back of her mind, she had registered Dr. Halstead and Maggie ushering him away from them and into another room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She desperately wanted to check up on him, but she stopped herself from doing so. The paperwork would not finish itself, and Sylvie knew that the moment she saw Matt again, her resolve would start to crumble. She had kept her emotions in check up until now because someone else always needed her to be strong. With Matt though, she didn’t need to be strong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brett,” Chief Boden’s voice called out to her, and Sylvie’s head moved in his direction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was walking down the hallway with Mouch next to him. They must have come from Herrmann’s room as it was just a few feet behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chief,” Sylvie addressed him as they stopped next to her. “Any news on Herrmann?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re taking him up to surgery as we speak. He lost a lot of blood, and they are concerned about the damage of his fracture,” Boden explained calmly with his hands on his hips. “We already called Cindy, and I instructed Casey to take the entire house out of service for the rest of shift.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That must mean that Matt was fine and probably allowed to leave already. Sylvie knew she asked about Herrmann and not Matt, but she couldn’t help it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, where is Casey?” Sylvie asked as she placed the tablet back onto the counter next to her. She had read through the file twice now; it was probably done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s waiting for his release papers, and then he’ll need a ride back to 51. The others are already back at the station. Mouch and I will stay and wait for Cindy,” Boden informed her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you should check on him,” Mouch suggested with a knowing look. “I’ll let Mackey know where to find you. He’s in room four.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A blush formed on her cheeks, and she averted her gaze. “I’ll go get him then,” she mumbled, turning on her heel and darting down the hallway without looking at either of her colleagues again. She could deal with Mouch, but she didn’t want to see Boden’s reaction to it just yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>These last few months, she had tried to ignore the knowing looks from several members of 51 when it came to her and Casey. Sylvie knew they weren’t completely oblivious to what was happening between them. They all spent 24 hours of their lives together every third day, and in truth, they often knew more about each other than they liked to. It wasn’t any different with her relationship with Matt. Sure, they had tried to keep it professional, but Sylvie was sure that it was still obvious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she reached room four, she softly knocked against the glass before sliding the door open. Matt was sitting sideways on the bed, his feet planted firmly on the ground. He was still wearing his turnout pants, but he had taken off his coat and jacket, his red suspenders standing in stark contrast to his white polo shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I was just about to find you. Will said he’d be back any second with my release papers,” Matt greeted her with a little smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie crossed the distance between them, stopping shortly before him to inspect his face. His cut was hidden under a thick white bandage that spanned half of his forehead and stopped in the middle of his temple. They had cleaned his face too, but there was still some remaining dried blood on his eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unable to stop herself, she reached her hand out to brush it off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will stitched it up,” Matt told her in a soft voice. “I’ve got a headache, but it doesn’t classify as a concussion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew his words were supposed to make her feel better, but they didn’t. Instead, she concentrated on scratching the blood out of his brow, keeping her eyes firmly on her fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any news on Herrmann?” Matt asked while he placed his hand on her hip, giving her a soft squeeze. “Boden said they called Cindy. Is she here yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the mention of Cindy’s name that broke her in the end. Her eyes welled up with tears to the point where she couldn’t see clearly anymore, and her lips quivered violently as a racked sob escaped from her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt, I can’t… I can’t…,” she cried, her hand falling from Matt’s face to his shoulder, while her other one hovered over her forehead as she tried to keep her tears at bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt was on his feet in seconds, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her against his chest. One of his hands tangled in her hair, and she could feel his lips against her hairline.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, shh, I’m here,” he whispered, laying a kiss against her forehead. “You don’t have to do anything, Sylvie. Just let it out. I got you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and she helplessly buried her head into the collar of his shirt. His embrace was warm and safe, and just like she expected, it broke her completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fear of losing Herrmann started to set in, mixing with her grief from losing Otis and Julie during the last two years. She had hoped that 2021 would be better. A year without heartbreak and grief, but they had barely made it to March, and it had already taken a turn for the worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie didn’t know how long they were standing in the hospital room, but Matt kept her tightly locked up in his arms until her sobs died down to quiet sniffles. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, but other than that, he let her bawl her eyes out. And while it didn’t help her fear of losing yet another close friend, she still felt a bit better afterward. Like she could finally breathe again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cupping her cheek, Matt pulled back until he could bow his back to cower down to her eye level. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before he placed his fingers under her chin, lifting it gently.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, listen. We don’t know any specifics yet, but we do know that Dr. Marcel and every other doctor in this hospital will do their best to help Herrmann. They are the best of the best,” Matt told her as he ran his fingers over her cheek. “Plus, Herrmann’s a fighter. He will not let one little explosion take him out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A soggy laugh left her throat, and she leaned into his touch. Blinking away the last few tears, she took a deep breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, that’s better. I missed your smile.” Matt said as he wiped her last stray tears away. His lips tugged up, and his thumb trailed over her cheek. “We’re gonna get through this. I will be right here by your side for whatever you need, OK? I’m not leaving you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She believed every single word he just said to her without an ounce of hesitation. Whatever trust she had lost in him all those weeks ago was finally back, and it felt even stronger. It lulled her into a sense of security that she hadn’t felt with anyone before, and she never wanted to let go of that feeling again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping into his embrace once more, Sylvie wrapped her arms around his waist. Her hands grabbed onto his suspenders as she rested her head against his chest. “Thank you for being here, Matt,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she concentrated on the continuous thumping of his heart.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The firefighter placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. “Anytime.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, so I'm not sure if I can wrap this up next chapter. We'll see. I have a lot of ideas left for this and one last chapter might be a bit too much. I don't know yet. <br/>Otherwise, this part is pretty fluffy with lots of touchy/feely stuff going on here! I hope you like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hours later, Sylvie found herself sitting in the common room of the station. Everyone had gathered in the shared space as they were still not allowed to wait at the hospital due to COVID-restrictions. It made everyone just a bit more anxious, but there was nothing they could do about it. It was a miracle that Boden and Mouch were allowed to wait with Cindy at the hospital, but Sylvie was sure that Boden must have pulled some strings with Goodwin to make that happen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thought of Cindy made Sylvie choke up once again, and she took a steadying breath and swallowed down the lump in her throat. She couldn’t cry anymore. Not here in front of all her colleagues. Besides, it wouldn’t help Herrmann.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hand on her thigh squeezed her knee softly, and Sylvie turned her head to the right. Her eyes landed on Matt, who was sitting next to her at the long table. He had barely left her side since they came back from the hospital. After he had taken the house out of service, he had grabbed his paperwork and sat down next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You OK?” He asked in a low voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie nodded her head weakly, forcing a pained smile onto her face. “Yeah, just anxious like everybody else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tilted his head to the side, shifting his body towards her as he leaned closer. “We can go to my quarters if you’re more comfortable there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His offer was tempting, but she couldn’t only think about herself right now. All their friends were spread around the room, silently waiting for news on Herrmann. Boden had promised to keep Matt in the loop, as he was currently the highest-ranking officer in the house. It felt wrong to take him away from their group. They were all looking to him now to find some confidence in this uncertain time, and she couldn’t deny her friends that. Even if she selfishly wanted to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaking her head, she placed her hand on his on her thigh. “No, we should stay here. I think we all need to be together now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The captain nodded, drawing in some air. For a second, he looked like he wanted to lean further in, but he stopped himself and intertwined their fingers instead. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand, and his lips tugged up in understanding. “You’re right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His warm touch calmed her worried mind, and she felt her heartbeat slow. Matt always knew how to make her feel better. Just having him close was enough for her, but he made sure that some part of his body was always touching hers. The second he had sat down earlier, his hand had found her thigh and it never left it since then.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a small gesture, but it still spoke volumes for her. They were at their workplace, surrounded by their colleagues, and he still made sure that she was alright at all times. Sylvie was sure that was the only reason she wasn’t wrapped up in his arms right now. Earlier at Med, he had barely let go of her when Will had come back into the room, and his hand had been plastered onto her back on their way out of the hospital.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It reminded her of his injury, and her worry shifted from Herrmann to Matt. “How’s your head? Is it still hurting?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, the painkillers kicked in a while ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have started on this paperwork,” he assured her, squeezing her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still shouldn’t strain yourself too much, Matt. I know they said you don’t have a concussion, but that cut on your forehead looked really nasty,” she reminded him, biting her lip. The image of his blood-stricken face would probably haunt her for a couple of nights, and the big, puffy bandage on his forehead would remind her of it daily too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine, I promise,” Matt repeated, pointing towards the files on the table. “This is just the report for today’s call. I can’t put it off. Headquarters wanted this hours ago.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie bit down harder on her lip. She knew he was right. It was one of the reasons why she had filed her own report at the hospital earlier before finding Matt, and it had been one of her wiser decisions today.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, listen. If my headache comes back before I finish this, I’ll stop filling it out, and you’ll be the first to know, OK?” He looked at her with soft eyes that reflected nothing but honesty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded weakly, puffing out some air in frustration. “I’m sorry I’m such a worrywart today. It’s just… It could have been you instead of Herrmann. And I can’t… I can’t…,” she trailed off, swallowing the rest of the words as she averted her gaze onto the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it wasn’t me. Don’t think like that, Sylvie,” Matt mumbled as he let go of her hand to place it on her back instead. “This what-if game is dangerous. It messes with your head.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t lose you, Matt,” she confessed in a barely audible voice, letting out the words she choked on just seconds ago. “You’re too important to me, and you and I… we—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Sylvie, look at me,” Matt interrupted her, rubbing his hand over her back. He waited a few more seconds until she met his gaze. “You’re not losing me, and as soon as Herrmann is out of the woods, we’ll have a serious conversation about us. I’ve got a few things I’d like to say to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her belly fluttered at his words, and her lips parted. “You do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do, and I can’t wait until we do talk,” he promised her, sending her a soft smile. “I think we’ve put it off far too long already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her heart hammered against her ribcage, and she tentatively placed her hand on his thigh. This was one good thing she could look forward to, but before she could answer, Matt’s phone vibrated on the table. Boden’s name was flashing across the display, and it made both of them tense up in their chairs, the mood broken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be right back,” Matt told her with one last squeeze to her shoulder, before he grabbed his phone and got up from his chair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie swallowed hard, watching as he left the room. Today felt endless.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Matt hadn’t come back with the news they had all hoped for. Herrmann’s surgery hadn’t gone too well, and Dr. Marcel had to pause after he stopped the bleeding. The firefighter had lost too much blood and had been too unstable for the femur repair itself. The plan was to continue the repair tomorrow when Herrmann was hopefully more stable. It meant the night would be critical.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The paramedic in Sylvie also knew that femur fractures, especially if they were as complicated as Herrmann’s seemed to be, took a long time to heal. He would be off the job for at least three months minimum, and that was if it would heal well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apart from maybe Mackey and Stella, nobody seemed to be yet aware of this part of Herrmann’s injury, and Sylvie had wanted to keep it that way. There was no reason to freak out their colleagues even more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been a good decision as Cruz had bombarded Matt with questions as soon as the captain had finished talking. It had caused quite a turmoil as Ritter had stormed out of the room without another word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The young man was taking it hard, as Herrmann had become his mentor. Gallo and Mackey had sat with him on the couch all day, the three youngsters of 51 sticking together like usual. They had developed a great friendship over the last couple of months, and Sylvie was glad they had each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Gallo had run after his friend, Sylvie had sat down with Mackey for a while. Her partner had been quiet all day, and she hadn’t said a word the entire time Sylvie had sat next to her. The young woman had leaned her head against Sylvie’s shoulder until her boyfriend had come back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing Gallo with Mackey was always interesting as he was certainly a lot less awkward with her than he had been a couple of months back. When he had sat back down beside her on the couch, Mackey had turned into him and Gallo had wrapped her in his arms. He had whispered something to her, and Sylvie had never seen the young man so gentle and mature before. She had taken it as her cue to leave them, satisfied that her partner was taken care of.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the afternoon and evening had passed by slowly. After sitting with Stella for a while to soak up some strength from her best friend, Sylvie had found herself next to Matt again. He had been done with his paperwork, quietly talking to Severide who had taken a seat next to him at the long table some time ago. The second she had sat down, Matt had stopped his conversation and turned towards her, his hand finding hers under the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point, Chloe had come by with dinner, forcing them to eat. She had brought pizza, so most of their colleagues hadn’t needed too much convincing. By the time she had left, it had already been past nine in the evening, and after another hour of silence in the common room, Boden had called, letting them know that Herrmann’s condition hadn’t changed, but he was stable for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that, most of her colleagues had retreated to the bunkroom, and Sylvie had checked in with Gianna one last time before heading that way too. Sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight for anyone, but they could at least try. Matt had promised to wake them up in case Boden called again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Sylvie walked into the bunkroom, she stopped at her bed, her gaze shifting to Matt’s quarters. The door was left ajar, and the room was dimly lit. Without thinking about it further, she silently moved towards the room, peeking inside to find Matt sitting on his bed with his head leaning on his propped-up hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slipping into the room, Sylvie closed the door behind herself before crossing the distance to Matt. He didn’t acknowledge her, and that worried her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you doing OK? Is your head hurting?” She asked in concern as she lowered herself down next to him on the bed. Her hand landed on his back, rubbing circular motions between his shoulder blades.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt turned his head briefly in her direction, letting out an enormous sigh. “No, the headache didn’t come back again. The cut is burning a bit, but I’m sure that’s normal.” He let his head sink back into his hands, his gaze cast onto his feet.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, Sylvie just took him in, and for the first time today, she noticed the dark bags under his eyes. It made him look pale, and she could make out the tiredness on his features mixed with something that surprised her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Guilt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost kicked herself for not noticing it earlier. He hadn’t left her side all day, making sure that she was as comfortable as possible in this situation, and not once had she taken the time to ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> about his feelings. Too wrapped up in her own worry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pulling in some air, she let it out slowly again to get rid of the anger she felt for her selfishness. It wasn’t anything she could change, but she could make a point of asking him now. She continued her motions on his back, scooting closer to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are you doing with all of this, Matt? I know you put on a brave face for the sake of your people, but you’ve known Herrmann a lot longer than most of us. He’s a good friend of yours. It can’t be easy for you either,” she questioned him in a gentle voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt closed his eyes, keeping quiet for a moment, before he silently confessed, “I keep replaying the call in my head because a part of me feels guilty for the accident.” He paused, shaking his head. “It feels like the mattress factory fire all over. I made a decision because I thought it was safe, and I ended up losing Otis and hurting you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A part of her was surprised to hear him say those words, but another part wasn’t. This was Matt. The most genuine and compassionate person she knew. Of course, he blamed himself for Otis’s death. Her heart broke a little for him as she realized he had been carrying this around for almost two years now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt,” she whispered in a thick voice, placing her other hand on his thigh. “That wasn’t your fault.” Her thumb brushed over his knee as she tried to get a better look at his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe, but it doesn’t feel that way,” he retorted, biting the inside of his cheeks. “Today was just another reminder of that. I’m responsible for all of your lives, and it’s not something I should take lightly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not doing that, Matt,” Sylvie replied with a shake of her head. “You’re a good captain. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. You weigh the variables and based on that you make a calculated decision. You would never put anyone willingly in danger.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The firefighter kept quiet for a moment, lifting his head and staring straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the frosted glass that encased the small room. He still looked sullen, but Sylvie could see that he was thinking about her words, mulling them over in his head. She let her hand run up his back, her fingers trailing along the collar of his dark-blue captain jacket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t have known about the gas bottles in the house,” he stated as he pressed his lips into a flat line. “I know that. But there is still this tiny part of me that tells me it’s my fault.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because you’re human, Matt,” she reminded him, the sides of her lips tugging upwards. “You’re one of the most selfless people I know, and I’m sure you’ve come up with a million ways to help out Cindy and Herrmann in the next couple of weeks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m thinking about taking the kids tomorrow morning. Lee Henry is with them, but I feel like he might need a break from his younger siblings too. They can be a lot, and they’ve all reached an age where they are not oblivious to the world around them anymore. It must be hard for them too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A smile crossed her face at the thought of Matt and the kids. It had been a while since she had last seen them interact, but she knew how good Matt was with kids in general.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure Cindy and Herrmann would appreciate you checking in on them. And I’m also sure the Herrmann bunch would enjoy spending time with their Uncle Matt. It would definitely cheer them up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt chuckled as he straightened his back, sitting up in his spot next to her. “I might regret that later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not when I come with you,” she suggested, tapping his knee with her fingers. “I think both of us might stand a fighting chance against those rascals.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt turned his head to her, their eyes meeting for the first time. “You don’t have to come.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I want to,” Sylvie clarified, her hand slipping from his back as she placed it on the bed behind him, turning a bit more serious again. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask how you felt about all of this earlier. You were there for me all day, and I never asked what you needed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No, Sylvie. I had all I needed right by my side,” Matt shut her down quickly, tilting his head to the side and laying his hand on hers on his thigh. “You let me be there for you, and that’s all I wanted and needed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She puffed out some air, turning their hands so that she could run her fingers along the palm of his hand. “It still doesn’t feel like I’ve done enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did more than enough,” Matt assured her in a soft voice, closing his fingers over hers, but leaving enough room for her fingers to continue their movements against his palm. “You asked me about my headache several times today, and you’re here right now. That’s what’s important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt was the one person in her life that made everything just a bit easier. She felt safe with him, and as long as she had him by her side, she knew that she could take whatever life would throw at her. The fact that he wanted the exact same thing showed her once again that Matt Casey was exactly the man she was looking for. He wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him. Today just proved that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her finger cataloged the calluses on his hand as she let the feeling sink in for a moment. Matt held his hand still, only brushing his fingers teasingly against hers every so often. The motions soothed her, and she felt the events of the day slowly sink in on her until her eyes felt heavy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s getting late,” she said softly, looking back up into his blue eyes. “You want me to check your cut before we try to get some sleep?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine,” he told her with a shake of his head. “I might take you up on that tomorrow morning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is that word again,” she chastised him with a lifted eyebrow. “We need to work on your vocabulary when it comes to your sense of pain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled softly. “I might be a lost cause.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll see about that,” she mused, reluctantly pulling back her hand and standing up from her spot. She immediately missed his warmth, but they needed some sleep. Especially if they wanted to look after Herrmann’s kids in the morning. Pursing her lips, Sylvie eyed Matt for a second longer. “You sure there is nothing I can do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie expected him to tease her about her repeated question, but instead, she found him staring at her with slightly parted lips and open, honest eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay with me,” he breathed in a barely audible voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His words shook her to her core, and she felt paralyzed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt shifted in his spot, pushing himself off the bed too. “I mean only if you want to,” he added quickly as he fumbled with his hands in front of him. “I know we’re at work and we said we would talk when this is all over, but I… I just—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“—think I would sleep better if you were next to me,” he rambled on, completely oblivious to her answer. His hands were still waving about aimlessly in front of his body, and he looked flushed. “I know the bed is small, and I would understand if you don’t want to. It’s a tight fit, but—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt,” she interrupted him amused, grabbing his hands in her own to stop his wild movements. “I said yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His brow wrinkled. “You did?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A small smile crossed her lips, and she nodded, pushing his hands down the sides of his body before she let go of them. “I did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wrinkles on his forehead smoothened at her words, and a smile moved onto his lips too. “Good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They looked at each other for a moment longer, and Sylvie expected the next few minutes to be more awkward, but they weren’t. Together, they took off their shoes and jackets, hanging them onto the end of the bed. With the house out of service, they wouldn’t get called out again anyway, so Sylvie even took off her belt, and out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Matt do the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt placed his phone on the small bedside table before pulling back the covers and fluffing his pillow once. As if they had studied their motions, Sylvie slipped past him and onto the firm mattress, scooting back as far as she could until her back hit the wall. Matt slid in next to her, laying on his back and lifting his arm over her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take her longer than a second to melt into him, her head coming to rest on his chest while her arm slung over his middle. They had been this close when they had kissed all those weeks ago, but this still felt different. More intimate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt shifted under her as he turned off the small lamp on the bedside table, before tightening his grip around her back and pulling her flush against him. His other hand pulled the covers over them, making sure that she was tugged in up to her chin, before his hands slipped back under the covers, sprawling almost entirely over her upper arm that rested against his stomach. When their legs tangled together a second later, Sylvie couldn’t tell where she ended and he began, and it was the best feeling in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His warmth soaked into her body, and his smell clouded her senses. She buried closer to him as she felt her eyes drop. Sleep was pulling her under faster than she expected, and she barely registered Matt’s last words to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sleep tight, Sylvie,” he mumbled into her hair before his lips pressed a feather-light kiss to the skin of her forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She just hummed contently as she drifted off easily. If she could fall asleep like this for the rest of her life, she knew she wouldn’t miss anything else.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the back of his mind, Matt could hear someone calling his name, but he was too comfortable and sleepy to acknowledge it further. Instead, he tightened his arms around the warm body next to him, nuzzling his nose into the softness of hair in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Casey, wake up,” the voice called out to him again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt sighed, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. Why would he need to wake up when he was perfectly comfortable and content right here? That was just cruel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Case, come on,” the voice mumbled quietly and a bit annoyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt didn’t react again, choosing to ignore the person who tried to pull him so roughly from his sleep. When someone tapped his back though, his eyes shot open, and he instinctively moved his body over the sleeping one by his side, shielding her from any potential harm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room around him was still dark, and when he glanced over his shoulder with heavy eyes, he saw Severide standing next to his bed. Sighing, he let his head fall back against his pillow, bringing up his hand to rub his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh, I didn’t see that one coming,” his best friend sounded up again, his voice a little louder than before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt glanced back to him to see his friends lifted eyebrows as he jutted his chin towards the blonde woman snuggled against his chest. She must have been shielded from his view until Matt had lifted his arm off her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie was indeed tugged closely against his body. During the night, Matt must have turned onto his side as Sylvie was now snuggled sideways against his body with her head propped up on her hands on the mattress. Her forehead rested against his chest, and he could feel her soft, warm breaths penetrating through his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of his arms laid over her head, his forearm draped along the back of her head with his hand resting on her upper back. She looked peaceful and still deeply asleep, which soothed him. He couldn’t help but run his fingers through her hair for a second, marveling at how well her small body fit against his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His best friend cleared his throat, causing Sylvie to stir in her sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Matt mumbled in a soft voice as he craned his neck to look at Severide, his fingers carding softly through Sylvie’s hair until she settled again. “What do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just checking in. I thought you might want one of these,” Severide told him, lifting his hand for Matt to see two cigars.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At four in the morning?” Matt asked in disbelief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s more like five, old man,” Severide countered with a shrug of his shoulders. “Anyway, I’m gonna go.” He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “I can see you’re doing fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt huffed annoyed, a soft growl leaving his throat. “I’m coming in a second, but we’re having coffee instead of cigars.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure,” his best friend shrugged before turning around and leaving his quarters.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting up was the last thing Matt wanted to do right now. Not with Sylvie pressed so tightly against him. He waited months to have her this close again, and he certainly wasn’t ready to let go of her just yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt knew though that Severide would be back if Matt didn’t find him soon, and he’d rather not have that either. Sylvie deserved some more sleep, and she certainly didn’t need to wake up to his best friend bothering him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As careful as possible, Matt moved backward and away from Sylvie. He barely managed to get a few inches between them, before she stirred, her hands reaching out to follow his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Matt?” She mumbled sleepily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leaning onto his arm, he pushed himself up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face. “Go back to sleep. It’s still early. I’m gonna talk to Severide real quick, and then I’ll be back,” he promised her in a soft voice, trailing his fingers over the apple of her cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie hummed, her eyes fluttering for a moment. “M’kay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt waited a moment longer until her breathing evened out again before he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. Grabbing his pillow, he pushed it closer to Sylvie and nudged it gently against her hands, until she pulled it closer to herself. She snuggled her head into it, letting out a content sigh. It was enough for Matt to know she was comfortable and still asleep, so he got up and quickly dressed himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple of minutes later, he walked into the common room where Severide was standing by the coffeepot. The aroma of the dark liquid filled the room, and Matt tiredly rubbed his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who wants to smoke a cigar at five in the morning? Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Matt accused his best friend as he crossed the distance between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop being such a grump,” Severide snorted, turning towards the coffee pot. “There was a time where you would have said yes to that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well maybe ten years ago,” Matt deadpanned, coming to lean against the counter. “We’re not young enough for that kind of thing anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Severide huffed as he filled two cups with coffee. “Speak for yourself. I’m not the one who’s complaining about the time.” He pushed one of the cups over the counter and towards Matt. “So, you finally made a move on Brett? It’s about damn time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning in his spot, Matt grabbed the mug with both of his hands. “It’s too early for that kind of discussion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know about that. You two looked pretty snug together,” Severide teased him mischievously as he took a sip from his cup.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt groaned. “That’s not what I meant.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” his friend chuckled, boxing his arm lightly. “I’m just pulling your leg.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt shook his head as he turned around with the mug in his hand, leaning against the counter with his back once more. The two of them fell into an easy silence that blended in with the quietness of the rest of the house. No one was up yet, and it would probably be at least another half an hour before anyone would get up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love her,” Matt confessed in a steady voice, his words echoing through the large room. It was the first time he had said those words out loud to anyone, but he found that it was one of the easiest things in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then tell her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At his friend’s blunt words, Matt laughed into his mug as he took a large gulp. “I will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” Severide bumped their shoulders together, making Matt’s coffee slouch dangerously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffing softly, Matt gave his best friend a firm shove which made the two of them laugh in unison. “Look at us. You ever thought we would end up like this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think? I’m getting married. That’s crazy,” Severide snorted with a shake of his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t let Stella hear that,” Sylvie’s voice rang through the room, and both men looked over to her in surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had just rounded the corner into the common room, so she couldn’t have overheard anything Matt had said before. Not that he didn’t want her to know. He just preferred to tell her in a different setting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie had dressed again too, but her hair still looked a bit messy. By the way she was slouching over to them, Matt could tell that she was still tired. It was only 5:30 after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she stopped in front of them, she grabbed the mug out of Matt’s hands, taking a big sip from it before wrapping her hands around it. She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes for a second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look chummy today, Brett,” Severide teased her with a laugh as he turned to the coffeepot to fill another mug. “Rough night?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt almost choked on his spit. Did his friend really just say that?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut it, Severide,” Sylvie grumbled, opening her eyes, and leveling the lieutenant with a pointed look. “Contrary to you and Stella, we have more class than that. This is our workplace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her response didn’t only stun Matt, but also Severide. His best friend gave the blonde an acknowledging and impressed look as he suppressed a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think that’s my cue to leave,” he smirked, clapping Matt on the shoulder before taking his two mugs of coffee and walking towards the side door of the room. “Have fun.” He turned to wink at Matt just as he left through the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie’s words gave Matt some really inappropriate images that wouldn’t leave his mind, so he kept his mouth shut to not say anything wrong. Talking about sex before they talked about their relationship in general seemed dangerous.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, I’m so tired,” Sylvie mumbled, stepping closer to him, and sliding her arm around his back. She leaned her head against his chest, pressing the mug back into his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It pulled him out of his heated haze, and he grabbed the mug and placed it onto the counter beside them. With his hands free, he wrapped his arms around the blonde in front of him, resting his cheek against the top of her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could have slept a bit longer,” he mused, rubbing her back. He loved that she was seeking him out like this. It just added another level to their relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I tried, but I got cold after you left,” she replied, nudging her nose against his neck for good measure. It was indeed very icy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. Severide’s weird sometimes,” Matt apologized for his best friend. “Trust me, I didn’t want to get up. I would have rather stayed there with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie nodded her head lazily, but before she could answer, Matt’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly grabbed it, unlocking the screen to find a message from Boden. Lowering the phone, he made sure that Sylvie could read with him before he opened it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Herrmann’s stable. They are prepping him for his second surgery now. Call when you wake up for more details.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both of them let out a sigh of relief after reading the message, and Matt pressed a hard kiss to Sylvie’s hairline while crushing her tightly to his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Told you he’d pull through. Herrmann’s a fighter,” Matt whispered into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. “That second surgery is gonna be a piece of cake for him now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie nodded against his shirt, sniffling softly. “I’m so glad he’s alright. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. Me too,” Matt agreed before loosening his grip on her and pulling back a bit. “How about I call Boden, and you wake up the other guys? I’m sure they could all use some good news right about now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” She drew back from him, sending him a watery smile. “I’ll be right back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Returning her smile, he squeezed her hip before they separated. For the second time that day, he missed her warmth, and it took a lot of self-restraint to not pull her back to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Sylvie?” He called out to her instead, trying to keep a straight face. “I’m not sure if I can agree with you on what you told Severide.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I have enough class to respect our workplace. It might be something we need to add to the list of things we want to talk about,” he explained quickly before he could cop out again. He held her gaze, watching as her eyes began to sparkle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” she mused with a shrug of her shoulders as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth to stop the smile that threatened to form on her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His heart began to beat faster, and he shoved his hands into the pocket of his jacket. Swallowing hard, he watched as she walked backward out of the room, but just before she could round the corner, she sent him a teasing wink, a full-blown smile covering her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes followed her until she was out of sight, and he vowed to himself that the second they’d get some time to breathe today, he would sit her down and talk it all out with her. It couldn’t wait any longer.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You'll get another part. That's all I'm saying.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You ready for this?” Matt asked Sylvie as he knocked on the door to the Herrmann’s house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had decided to go straight over to the kids after shift, and Sylvie had left her car at the station, catching a ride with Matt instead. She had a feeling they were gonna spend a lot of time together in the next few days. Something she really didn’t mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Puh, are you ever ready for those kids?” Sylvie questioned him with a sideways glance. “I mean you never know what you’re gonna get. Plus, with their dad in the hospital, I expect them to be even less cooperative than they are on their good days. I don’t know how Cindy does it sometimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can still turn around and leave. I’m not forcing you to watch them with me,” Matt offered, bumping his shoulder against hers. “I can handle them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie chuckled. “I have no doubt in my mind about that, but I’m good. Besides, setting all their craziness aside, they are a pretty lovable bunch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door in front of them opened, loud screams echoing through it. Lee Henry was standing in front of them, still in his pajamas and with a pained look on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair warning, the house is a mess,” Lee Henry greeted them with a big sigh, opening the door wider. “They’ve been driving me nuts ever since Mom left.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The 19-year-old looked almost like he had gotten no sleep last night. The dark bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway, and his disheveled appearance only added to it. Sylvie felt sorry for the kid, stepping forward and placing her hand on his arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Lee Henry. How about we come in now and see what we can do? I’m sure you could use a break,” she told him, rubbing his arm for a second before dropping her hand again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A breath of relief left the boy’s lungs. “Thanks for coming along, Sylvie. I’m sure you can solve Annabelle’s hair problem better than Uncle Matt or me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hair problem, huh?” She asked amused as she stepped inside, taking off her shoes in the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, she wants this stupid braid,” the oldest Herrmann complained as he closed the door behind Matt. “I told her I couldn’t do it, but she’s such a princess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine it’s easy growing up with four brothers,” Matt reminded him while he took off his shoes as well. “She doesn’t have anyone to share this girly stuff with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s just spoiled,” Lee Henry grumbled, turning on his spot and disappearing down the hallway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After Sylvie and Matt had taken off their jackets, they followed him, but when they reached the doorway of the living space, they stopped dead in their tracks. The mess Lee Henry had been talking about was an understatement. Apart from the toys that were sprawled across the room, there were pillows, blankets, and mattresses covering the entire living room to the point where you couldn’t see the floor anymore. The only thing missing were the other four kids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, we were all a bit upset, so Luke suggested that we’d all sleep down here,” Lee Henry shrugged, scratching his neck. “I was gonna clean it up, but I didn’t get around to it yet. They were hungry, so I tried to make pancakes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie’s eyes moved to the kitchen, and she gulped to keep her face expressionless. Dishes were piled in the sink and next to it, and the rest of the counter space was covered with various items of food. On the kitchen island stood a bowl, and when Sylvie craned her neck, she could make out something that resembled pancake batter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about I make some pancakes, and you just sit down for a second?” Matt suggested, patting the boy’s shoulder. “Where are your siblings?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are downstairs in the basement, watching some TV. That is if they agreed on something. They are awfully quiet all of the sudden. I should check on them,” Lee Henry explained, shifting in his spot as he pointed behind him to the stairs of the basement on the other side of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want me to come with you?” Sylvie offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine. I can deal with them for a bit longer if it means I don’t have to step foot in the kitchen again,” he deadpanned, holding up his hands in front of him. “Thanks though.” With that he turned around, heading towards the stairs.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie tilted her head to the side, mustering the mess in front of them. “We should clean this up before Cindy gets back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Agreed,” Matt mumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I’ll try to save those pancakes and you tackle the dishes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like a plan,” she nodded with a grin on her face, winking at him before she moved towards the kitchen area.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the next 15 minutes, they moved around the kitchen, cleaning up as best as they could. Matt quickly gave up on saving the pancake batter, dumping it and starting from scratch. Out of the corner of her eyes, Sylvie could see that he was doing it without measuring anything, which piqued her interest. She knew he was a good cook, but she hadn’t seen him cook too often yet. Maybe that would be one of many new things she could learn about him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sylvie?” A voice called out to her from the stairs at the other side of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The paramedic turned around just in time to see Annabelle appearing at the top. The girl marched right up to the counter, placing various items on it before hopping up onto the barstool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lee Henry won’t braid my hair,” the girl told her as she crossed her arms in front of her. “He says he doesn’t know how to braid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie moved to stand next to Matt, who was still making new pancake batter at the kitchen island, facing the 11-year-old girl with a curious look. Annabelle had always been a force to be reckoned with, but Sylvie had a feeling that today, they were in for some trouble with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The paramedic mustered her for a second, taking in the scene in front of her. Annabelle’s blonde hair was neatly brushed, falling smoothly down her back, and just like her brother, she was also still in her pajamas. On the kitchen counter in front of her, she had a hairbrush, various clips, and hair ties.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, good morning to you too, Annabelle,” Sylvie addressed her as she placed her hands on the kitchen counter. “You look like you slept better than your brother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie knew exactly what the 10-year-old wanted, but she ignored her words. Annabelle was smart and growing up with four brothers had made her resilient. Sure, she looked sweet and innocent, but she also had a sharp tongue, and she knew how to use it. Sometimes Sylvie wondered if Cindy was the only one that little girl listened to as she had her father wrapped around her finger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of her own experience, Sylvie knew it was important to establish boundaries with Annabelle right from the start, otherwise she would act up with them for the rest of the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s his own fault for playing on his phone all night,” Annabelle answered with a shrug of her shoulders. “Are you making pancakes, Uncle Matt? Because Lee Henry can’t do that either. I’m starving.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt glanced up to her with a lifted eyebrow. “Why aren’t you braiding your hair yourself?” He ignored her question as he added more flour to the mix. Apparently, Matt also knew the importance of boundaries with the girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t do that! How am I supposed to braid my own hair?” Annabelle exclaimed angrily, her forehead wrinkling. “I bet you don’t know how to braid either.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you don’t know how to braid your hair, then why should Lee Henry know? His hair isn’t long enough for braiding,” Matt countered neutrally as he stirred the batter, only glancing up to her briefly. “And I do know how to braid. My sister taught me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can braid my own hair,” Sylvie chimed in, leaning her hip against the counter. “It’s actually not that hard. I used to wear a braid for a long time, but now I only braid my hair when I want it to be curly in the morning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle’s eyes flew to hers, and the girl leveled her with an angry stare. She didn’t say a word, her chest rising and falling steadily, her gaze not wavering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, I think you have two options here,” Matt sounded up, pausing his motions. “You can either sit there and try to stare Sylvie down or you could just ask her to braid your hair. Your choice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without waiting for an answer, he turned around with the bowl in his hand, moving towards the stove to start on the pancakes. Sylvie remained in her place for another couple of minutes, having a stare-down with Annabelle who stubbornly continued to keep quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, alright then. I think the dishes are calling my name,” Sylvie shrugged after another minute. “Do me a favor and please put your hairbrush and ties away. We don’t want them lying around here, do we?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sending the girl a quick smile, Sylvie turned her back on her too. She felt a bit bad for her, but if she gave in now, Annabelle would just win and that couldn’t happen. Walking to the sink, she grabbed the empty bowl from Lee Henry’s earlier try of making pancake batter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt like hours before Annabelle made a sound behind them, but in reality, it only took a couple of more minutes until she growled silently, “Fine. Can you do my hair, please?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A triumphant smile covered Sylvie’s face, but she quickly smothered it. Glancing over to Matt, she scrunched up her nose in victory. A smile covered his face too, and he sent her a quick wink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turning back to Annabelle, Sylvie asked, “Sure, what kind of braid are we talking about?” She added a bit of cheerfulness to her tone because Annabelle did give in. It was a good thing. “One braid or two?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle didn’t look too thrilled at her enthusiasm, her arms still crossed in front of her chest. “Just a simple French braid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie walked around the kitchen counter, motioning for Annabelle to jump down from the barstool she was sitting on. “It will be easier if you stand in front of me. You’ve gotten taller since the last time I saw you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl did as she was told, but she stayed unimpressed at Sylvie’s praise. She was a hard nut to crack. With her back to Sylvie, Annabelle handed her brush to the paramedic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During the next couple of minutes, Sylvie silently brushed the girl’s long, blonde hair before starting on her braid. It took her a second to sort out her hands as she rarely braided someone else’s hair. The motions were technically the same just reversed. After a couple of tries to get the start of the braid right, she eased into it though, carefully making sure to make the braid as symmetrical as she could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that tight enough or do you want me to do it tighter?” Sylvie asked her after the first few strands of hair were sat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Annabelle pressed out, her voice sounding a bit thicker than just a few minutes ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie wrinkled her forehead, moving her head so that she could catch a glimpse of Annabelle’s face, but the girl turned her head away. Looking back up, Sylvie caught Matt’s eyes, and his worried and slightly confused frown told her all she needed to know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know sometimes it’s OK to cry,” Sylvie said softly as she grabbed another strand of blonde hair to put into the braid. “I cry sometimes too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not crying!” Annabelle protested, but her rough voice told a different story. She lifted her hand, wiping quickly over her cheek. “I’m not a baby!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Babies aren’t the only ones allowed to cry. Sometimes when you’re hurt or scared, crying is your body's way of self-soothing you,” Sylvie explained as she took the last strand of free hair into the braid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle sniffled, sucking in some air. “I still don’t want to cry.” She sounded angry at herself for not being strong enough, and Sylvie’s heart broke for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can understand that. Crying can be annoying sometimes,” Sylvie sympathized with her as she tangled the three strands of hair slowly in her hands. “When I was around your age, my mother got sick, and my aunt Ann had to take care of me and my brother for a while. I remember feeling scared because I didn’t understand what was happening with my mom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finishing the braid, Sylvie reached for the hair tie on the counter and wrapped it around the end of it. Instead of stepping away, she placed her hand on the girl’s head, smoothing it down her handiwork.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle turned around under her hand, her arms hanging down her sides with her hands balled into fists. Her eyes were directed at Sylvie’s stomach, and her teeth were clenched. “I wanna know what happened to Dad, but Lee Henry won’t tell me because he thinks I’m too young,” she confessed, an angry line appearing between her brows. “But I’m not!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like me to tell you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle nodded, and Sylvie pushed her back to the barstool, waiting until the girl had sat down again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your dad got hurt during a call yesterday. He broke his femur, which is the bone in your thigh.” She reached out to run her finger along Annabelle’s thigh to make it easier to understand. “And he had to have surgery because he was bleeding from the fracture.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Luke wasn’t bleeding when he broke his elbow,” Annabelle countered with a soft huff. “Why is Dad bleeding then? It doesn’t make sense.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, our thighs are different from our elbows. Our legs carry our entire weight when we’re walking, so we have a lot of muscles there.” Sylvie paused to squeeze Annabelle’s thigh, before continuing, “And for our muscles to be strong and functioning they need a lot of energy. For that, we have lots of blood vessels in our legs that supply our muscles with energy from the blood inside those vessels. They are kind of like a big web of long pipes that all connect, and we have them all over our body.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie stopped to see if Annabelle was able to follow her, and when the 11-year-old kept quiet, looking at her with expecting eyes, Sylvie took that as her cue to go on, “When your dad broke his leg, some of those pipes got broken too, so Dr. Marcel needed to repair them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like Dad had to patch up our garden hose because Lee Henry mowed over it?” Annabelle asked quietly, playing with her hands in her lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why did he have to have another surgery? Did they break again?” The girl asked in concern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they didn’t break again. It just took a lot of time to repair them, so Dr. Marcel had to stop because it was already really late,” Sylvie answered with a half-truth. There was no need to worry the girl more by telling her the real danger behind all of it. “Today, Dr. Marcel just needs to repair the break in your daddy’s bone, so it can heal without a bend in it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he going to get screws in it like Luke when he broke his elbow?” Annabelle asked her with wide eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie chuckled softly. “Maybe, I don’t know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annabelle pressed her lips together, folding her hands in her lap. “So, Daddy is going to be OK?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, he just won’t be able to walk for a while,” Sylvie assured her, reaching up to wipe some half-dried tears off Annabelle’s face. “And he’s gonna be at home for a while, so get ready.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mom’s not gonna like that,” Annabelle declared, her voice a lot steadier again. “Daddy can be whiny when he’s sick. Just like Lee Henry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do I have the feeling you have an agenda with Lee Henry?” Sylvie mused, patting the girl’s thighs. “Now that we’re all feeling better, maybe you can get your brothers and get them to wash their hands? I think breakfast is almost ready.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I have to?” The blonde asked annoyed, crossing her arms in front of her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I think you might be the right person to get the job done,” Sylvie encouraged her as she stepped away from the chair to give the girl space to get up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, fine.” Annabelle hopped down from her spot, shuffling slowly towards the stairs that led to the basement. She was definitely back to normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a shake of her head, Sylvie moved back around the kitchen island to go back to the sink, when Annabelle’s voice stopped her again, “Thanks for not treating me like a baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words surprised Sylvie, but before she could answer, Annabelle rushed down the stairs, disappearing from her sight. With an amused huff, Sylvie turned to Matt, who had just fished the last pancake out of the pan, placing it onto the neat stack next to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you just hear that? I think I’ve never gotten such high praise from her. I always thought Trudy was the only one Annabelle really liked,” Sylvie mused with a grin on her face as she leaned against the kitchen counter behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt kept quiet, turning the stove off, before his eyes lifted to hers. His lips were slightly parted, and his chest rose a bit quicker than usual as his eyes bore into her with such intensity that she had to grab the counter behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie shifted in her spot, and for a second, she wondered if she had said anything to upset him, but that thought went out of her head quickly as Matt crossed the distance between them in two long strides, grabbing her face and fusing their lips together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kiss surprised her, but she still reacted to it within seconds. Her eyes closed, and one of her hands reached up to cup his cheek while her other gripped his shirt at his waist. Matt gently slid his lips over hers, giving her lower lip a soft, testing tug, before he pulled back, their lips separating with a soft smack. As far as kisses go, it was rather innocent, but nonetheless perfect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, they breathed the same air, his lips hovering over hers. Her belly was doing somersaults, and she felt shaky and almost breathless but undeniably happy. Months of painful longing and heartbreak had led them to this moment, and Sylvie couldn’t care less if they stood in Herrmann’s kitchen or if they were anywhere else in this world. The only thing that mattered was Matt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A smile tugged at her lips, and she pushed herself onto her tiptoes, pressing her own chaste kiss to his lips. One of Matt’s hands moved to her waist, bending around her back, and drawing her closer. When she tried to pull back, his lips chased hers, stealing another kiss from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His actions made her giggle, and she opened her eyes to gaze up at him. He had a smile on his lips, and she couldn’t help but brush her fingers over his cheek. At her touch, his eyes closed, and he turned his head into her hand, kissing the inside of her palm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know we said we’d talk later, but I couldn’t help myself,” Matt confessed in a deep voice, nuzzling into her hand. His eyes opened again, and he blinked at her softly. “You were so great with Annabelle, and it brought back some memories.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trailing her thumb over the skin under his eye, she mused, “You were pretty good with her too. I guess we make quite the team.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A grin spread over his face as he moved their lips closer again, but before they touched, loud yells sounded up from the basement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a soft huff, Matt pulled back, laying a quick kiss to her forehead before separating from her completely. “We’ll continue this later. I don’t think Cindy will forgive me if one of her kids finds me making out with you in her kitchen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie chuckled softly. “Fair point. Can’t get onto her bad side until she shares her brownie recipe with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure that will ever happen,” Matt laughed as he moved to her side and opened a cabinet next to her head. “I think that might be a secret family recipe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you're supposed to be on my side here,” Sylvie scoffed mockingly, hitting his arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glancing down to her from the side, he slipped his arm over her stomach, crushing her sideways into his side. When he leaned down, his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “I’ll always be on your side.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shiver ran down her back, but before Sylvie could answer, footsteps came dashing up the stairs, and seconds later, Kenny burst into the room. Matt pulled back from her just in time for Kenny to crash into him moments later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uncle Matt!” The sheer joy in his voice made Sylvie’s heart skip a beat, and the matching beam on Matt’s face made waiting for their big talk absolutely worth it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had stayed with the Herrmann kids until Cindy had come back in the early afternoon. Herrmann had gotten through his surgery, and he had even woken up for a couple of minutes after. His prognosis was looking good so far, but he’d be out of the job for at least three months. It was a long time, and Annabelle had been right in her earlier assessment of Cindy not being too impressed by it. She loved her husband dearly, but she also enjoyed every third day when she had some peace and quiet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt and Sylvie hadn’t exactly made a plan as to where they would go after their visit, but when Severide had texted Matt to come to lunch at the loft, they had headed that way. It had delayed their talk further as they had sat together with the other couple for a while. And surprisingly, Matt hadn’t minded too much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had felt nice. They had mostly talked about their visit to the Herrmann’s, but Sylvie and Stella had also talked about weddings while Severide had asked Matt about his latest construction project. It just had felt very domestic. Next to Sylvie, Severide was his best friend, and with Stella being Sylvie’s best friend, they were bound to spend more time together as a group which was nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During lunch, Stella had also told them about Ritter and Gallo’s plan to get together at Molly’s tonight. With Herrmann on leave for over three months, passing the boot sounded like a great idea, and if they’d do it at Molly’s it would also mean extra income for the bar. Neither Matt nor Sylvie could say no to that idea, even if it gave them another deadline.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After they had all cleaned up together, Severide and Stella had plopped down on the couch, turning on some kind of movie. Sylvie had looked a bit out of place for a moment, unsure if she should sit down too or not. When Matt had taken her hand and pulled her towards his room, he had seen Stella smirking at him. She had done this on purpose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second they entered his bedroom, his nerves set back in. They had never been in here together, and when he thought about it now, it wasn’t the wisest decision. The only place they could sit was his bed, and that might seem as he was getting ahead of himself there. Then again, his roommates didn’t leave him with a lot of options, so this had to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After closing the door quietly, his eyes wandered to Sylvie who was standing at the foot of his bed, her eyes scanning his room. It only added to his nerves, and he shifted on his spot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your bedroom is very… plain,” Sylvie thought out loud, her arms crossing in front of her body. “You don’t even have one single picture in here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t have a lot of stuff. I lost everything in the fire at the condo. I was only able to salvage a couple of things, and those all fit into one box,” Matt pointed out with a shrug. He knew his room was a stark contrast to Sylvie’s apartment. Her walls were lined with pictures, and she had little knick-knacks on every other free surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that. That was insensitive,” Sylvie apologized as she brought up her hand in front of her eyes, her face scrunching up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crossing the distance between them, Matt grabbed onto her arm, guiding it away from her face and back down her side. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he bowed down to her eye level. “Look, if we’re gonna talk now, I want us to be completely honest. No holding back. I’m done doing this halfway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde nodded, taking a deep breath. “Agreed. Complete and brutal honesty. No more half-truths or double meanings.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fell quiet after that, and Matt let his hands slide down her arms until they fell away from her. His palms were sweaty, and he quickly rubbed them down the side of his jeans to mask it. The room around him felt too hot all of the sudden, and one of his hands reached up to tug his dark-green pullover away from his neck. He moved a step backward, afraid that he might actually smell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Sylvie’s voice reached his ears as she stepped closer to him, her arms going around his waist. “I’m a bit nervous too.” She pushed her head back into her neck, glancing up to him with gentle eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Out of instinct, his body reacted to hers. His arms moved over hers, one arm bending around her back and the other landing on her neck. Her closeness calmed his racing mind, and he felt his nerves slowly settle again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t wanna screw this up again,” he confessed as he traced his thumb over her jaw. “I don’t always say the right thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked at him softly, a smile playing on her lips. “You said some pretty nice things during the last couple of days,” she mused, reaching one of her hands up to his cheek. “And you did kiss me earlier, which was also really nice by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I liked that too,” he mumbled, concentrating on the feeling of her soft skin under his fingers. “To be honest, I like everything about you. From your smile to your endless optimism and cheerfulness. Hell, I even like the fact that you can’t keep a secret.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were doing so good up to that part,” Sylvie snorted, pursing her lips as she scrunched up her face and glanced up to him through her long lashes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words pulled a laugh out of him. “And I love the fact that you can make me laugh so easily. When I’m with you, I feel like I can be myself because I know you would never put me down. You build me up, and you make me happy, and I never wanna spend another day of my life without you in it.” He paused, tilting his head to the side as he locked eyes with her. “I love you, Sylvie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie’s eyes watered at his words, and her smile spread across her entire face, lightening her up. One of her hands snuck up to his chest, while her other fisted his pullover on the back. “Matt,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers skimmed over her cheek once more before they moved to cup her face. “I know I’ve put you through the wringer these last couple of months, but I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that you’re the only one I want to be with. I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you because a part of me has always known, but—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Matt,” she interrupted him with a soggy voice, her hand reaching up to pull his forehead against hers. “And I don’t care how long it took for us to get here. I know it was messy, and it hurt a whole lot, but I would do it all over again if it means I get to be with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffing softly, he rearranged his arms around her back until he had her pressed flush against him. “No more hurting, Sylvie. We’ve had enough of that. It’s time for some happier memories.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, she leaned her head against his chest, nuzzling her nose into his neck as her arms slipped around his back. “I’d like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” He pressed a kiss to her head, before resting his cheek against the spot. He had the pleasure of holding her in his arms a lot of times during the last few days, but this time it felt different. It felt final. They might have just started their relationship, but he knew she’d be the last woman he wanted to hold in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Matt didn’t know how long they stood in their embrace, but when he felt Sylvie stifle a yawn against his neck, he rubbed his hands up and down her back. “Are you tired?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, I’m exhausted,” the paramedic groaned softly, her lips moving against his skin. “I don’t know how Cindy does it every day. Those kids have too much energy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s their mom,” Matt shrugged as he ran his fingers through her hair. “You wanna take a nap?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A beat passed before Sylvie answered, “Would you mind terribly? With that thing at Molly’s tonight, I might need to recharge a bit. Otherwise, I’ll fall asleep at the bar.” She paused, turning a bit more serious again. “I know it might not be what you expected, but…” She trailed off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You make me sound like a jerk.” He huffed, pushing his head back to look down at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not what I meant with it!” She chastised him as she lifted her head from her spot on his chest, pinching his side and making him jump. “It’s just… we had this big lead up, and now that we talked, it's kind of… mundane?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t know about you, but taking a nap with you next to me sounds pretty fantastic,” Matt hummed, glancing down at her. “I’m not expecting anything to happen, Sylvie. We’ll figure it out as we go, OK? I’m in this for the long haul. I don’t mind waiting a bit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meeting his eyes, she rubbed her hands over his chest. “You say you’re not good with words, yet you always know the right thing to say.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pushed herself onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. It was over far too soon for his liking, but when another yawn escaped her lips, he loosened their embrace. Walking over to his dresser, he plucked one of his old lieutenant’s shirts out of it and threw it towards Sylvie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Might be more comfortable than your sweatshirt. I can give you some sweatpants too if you like,” he told her as he closed the drawer again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sylvie smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Matt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>During the next few minutes, they both changed, and when Sylvie crawled into his bed, snuggling herself against his chest in just his shirt, Matt felt like the luckiest man on earth. Maybe all his failures and heartbreak had happened for a reason. A reason that was now burying herself closer into his embrace, and he couldn’t be more grateful for them in that moment.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is honestly just pure fluff. I'm sorry it took so long. This story was supposed to be just a couple of chapters, but it turned into a beast that got really confusing to write as season 9 progressed. I'm glad it's finished now! :)<br/>Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story!!</p>
<p>Be on the lookout for an announcement for my next story in the next couple of days. You'll find it on Twitter (Katie_049) and Tumblr (katie-049) soon! You can also always come to talk to me there! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The concept of time seemed completely unimportant for Matt as he laid in his bed with his eyes trained on the sleeping woman next to him. He managed to sleep for two hours before Sylvie had stirred in his arms, turning in her spot and rolling away from him.</p>
<p>The loss of contact had pulled him to wakefulness, and when his eyes had opened, he had watched the blonde snuggle into one of the pillows next to him. Ever since then, she hadn’t changed positions, laying on her stomach with her head turned towards him. One of her hands remained close to his body, her fingers grazing the side of his chest.</p>
<p>At first, he had just looked at her, taking in her sleeping face, but then he had shifted onto his side, the arm on the bed extending towards her until his fingers could tangle in her hair. She had sighed softly at the contact, moving just an inch closer to him. Her eyes had remained closed though as she kept on sleeping contently.</p>
<p>For the longest time, he just marveled at her beauty and the fact that he got to call her <em>his</em> now. Not that he possessed her. No, he was simply happy that she chose to let him love her, and he swore to himself to make her feel loved every single day. She deserved the world, and he would give it to her in a heartbeat. Not one day would pass where she had to doubt his love for her. He was all in.</p>
<p>He tried to not get too ahead of himself, but he knew that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Over the last two years, they had built a deep and trusting friendship, one that couldn’t be shaken or broken. Not even when he almost screwed up everything with her. They still managed to find their way back to each other, and he couldn’t wait to find out what it would feel like to be loved by Sylvie Brett.</p>
<p>Up until now, he had only gotten a small glimpse of it, but now that they were together, he couldn’t wait to find out what it meant for the rest of their lives. She was his safe place, his rock, and the person he trusted more than anyone else. Somehow even more than Severide. He would gladly and willingly confess his deepest secrets to her without thinking twice about it.</p>
<p>In all honesty, he wanted to share everything with her. Every single moment of his life, no matter if it was a happy or a sad one. Just all of it.</p>
<p>Sylvie stirred again next to him, shuffling closer once more, and Matt placed his other hand on her back, rubbing it gently. The fabric of his shirt was soft under his touch, and he could feel the warmth of her skin soaking through it.</p>
<p>He had almost forgotten what it felt like to sleep next to someone. The warmth from her body was such a stark difference to his usual mornings in bed alone, and he already couldn’t imagine not waking up next to her.</p>
<p>“Your staring is creepy,” Sylvie mumbled in the next second, her eyes staying closed as she poked her finger into his chest.</p>
<p>It pulled a deep laugh from Matt’s throat, and he grabbed her hand with his, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a kiss to it. “You could try looking less cute. That might get me to stop.”</p>
<p>A sleepy smile covered her face as she slowly blinked her eyes open. “You’re hilarious.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you find me endearing,” Matt conceded.</p>
<p>Sylvie used their intertwined hands to give him a gentle shove against his chest, but then she pulled herself closer to him until she was laying on her side too with her head on the pillow next to his.</p>
<p>“Hi,” she whispered as their eyes met, and their fingers disentangled. Her free hand landed on his cheek, her thumb smoothing over his skin.</p>
<p>“Hi back,” he grinned as his hand snuck around her waist, drawing her closer to him until her body was pressed against his. Leaning towards her, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before his forehead came to rest against hers.</p>
<p>“I love seeing you like this,” Sylvie hummed, her fingers wandering from his cheek to his neck where they disappeared in his short strands of hair.</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>With her hold on his neck, Sylvie pulled herself closer to him, her nose nudging against his. She placed a kiss against one cheek and then the other, and Matt could feel her smile against his skin.</p>
<p>“So happy,” she mumbled against his skin as she pressed more kisses to his face and jaw. “I love seeing you this happy and carefree. It suits you.”</p>
<p>“Well, I am really happy right now,” Matt chuckled as his hands roamed over her back. One of them slipped under her shirt and trailed over the soft, bare skin on her back. “Being with you makes me happy.”</p>
<p>A grin covered the paramedic’s face, and she scratched her nails over his scalp once more before her hand moved back to cup his cheek. She looked at him with sparkling blue eyes, and a messy head of hair, but to him, she had never looked more beautiful.</p>
<p>“Good, because I don’t plan on going anywhere. You’re stuck with me, Matt Casey.” She pressed a sweet kiss to his lips to make her point.</p>
<p>“I guess we have an understanding then,” he laughed as he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her on top of him. It elicited a high-pitched squeak from her, but she threw her leg over his hip as she settled on top of him.</p>
<p>Her hands landed flat on his chest as she pushed herself into a sitting position on his stomach. She mustered him for a second, her eyes drawn to the bandage on his forehead. “I should change this. It came loose during our nap.” To validate her point, she tugged at the edge of the bandage that had come loose.</p>
<p>Matt let his hands run over her bare thighs. “I think I should shower first. Otherwise, it’s just gonna get wet again.”</p>
<p>Sylvie raised her eyebrows. “It shouldn’t get wet in the first place.”</p>
<p>Pressing his lips together, Matt huffed softly, “Well, I have to shower at some point. I feel like I still have sot in my hair.” His hands grabbed onto her thighs as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Shifting in his spot, he moved backward until his back rested against the headboard, pulling Sylvie with him.</p>
<p>“At least try to keep it dry,” she mumbled, framing his face with her hands. “Keep it on for your shower, and I’ll change it when you’re finished.” Her thumbs smoothed over his cheeks as her eyes flicked between his eyes and his wound.</p>
<p>The wrinkle on her forehead told Matt all he needed to know, and with his hands on her lower back, he tugged her closer to him. “I promise to be careful. It’s just a cut. It will heal.”</p>
<p>Sighing, Sylvie closed her eyes for a second, her hands dropping to his shoulders. “I just hate to see you hurt. It’s been different these past few months. Seeing you run towards danger doesn’t sit too well with me anymore. I know it’s your job, and I would never want you to stop doing it, but it makes me feel very… uneasy.”</p>
<p>“Hey, look at me, Sylvie,” Matt urged her as he cupped her cheek. He waited until she peaked up to him through her lashes, before continuing, “I get that feeling. I feel it every single time when 61 gets a solo call.”</p>
<p>Sylvie bit her lip, pulling it between her teeth. “You think it will get any easier?”</p>
<p>Shaking his head, Matt chuckled softly. “No, but I think we’ll get used to it in time.”</p>
<p>He honestly wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to seeing Sylvie drive off without any back-up. As much as he loved Chicago, it sometimes was a dangerous city, and he tried hard to forget all those calls that ended with Sylvie and a gun to her head. It was terrifying. Especially because his beautiful blonde paramedic was nothing but determined and headstrong when it came to doing her job, but he trusted her completely.</p>
<p>“You could try being a bit less reckless though,” Sylvie suggested with pursed lips, looking at him with big, round eyes. “It would make me feel a lot better if I’d know that you wouldn’t jump out of moving fire trucks anymore.”</p>
<p>Matt groaned, his head falling against Sylvie’s shoulder, his hand slipping to her neck. “You’re never gonna let me live that one down,” he mumbled against her throat.</p>
<p>“No, because that was truly stupid, Matt. You could have gotten seriously hurt,” she huffed, pinching his side. “Don’t do something like that again.”</p>
<p>Running his nose along her skin, he breathed a kiss against it. “Then don’t drive over an overpass.”</p>
<p>Sylvie let out an annoyed huff, tugging at his hair, but Matt was too distracted by her smooth and silky skin under his lips. Last time, he had only gotten a small taste of her, and it hadn’t been nearly enough. Now though, there wasn’t a lot that was holding him back. She was in his arms, sitting on his lap, and they were in his bed. It would be a wasted opportunity if he didn’t use it.</p>
<p>Pressing another kiss to her skin, he took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet, honeyed scent. He made a mental note to find out why she smelled this way as he trailed his lips down her throat and towards the junction of her neck.</p>
<p>“Matt. Don’t distract me,” she grumbled, but there wasn’t much force behind her words. She was already shifting on his lap, her neck stretching and the hand in his hair holding his head tightly.</p>
<p>He smiled against her skin, placing an open-mouthed kiss against her collarbone before he nuzzled further into her neck. “You sure you want me to stop?”</p>
<p>Sylvie squirmed again, pushing her body closer to his until their fronts were pressed together. “You’re not exactly playing fair,” she moaned softly as her fingernails scratched over his scalp.</p>
<p>“That’s the point,” he whispered against her skin before his lips trailed up her throat and to her lips, hovering over them for a moment. “Playing fair is no fun.”</p>
<p>Not giving her a chance to answer, he captured her lips with his, engaging her in a heated kiss.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the time Matt came back from his shower, Sylvie still hadn’t moved from her spot in his bed. She was curled up on her side, her head resting on his pillow that smelled just like Matt. A mixture of sawdust, smoke, and his unique scent. It was calming to her, and when she had pushed him out of bed almost 15 minutes ago, she had just pulled the covers back over herself and got comfortable. It had made her forget about the time as she had been answering various messages from Emily, Olivia, and her mom that had accumulated over the last few days.</p>
<p>“You look like you don’t wanna get up,” Matt’s voice pulled her away from her phone.</p>
<p>She peeked over her shoulder, seeing him walking up to her in just his sweats. His upper body was bare, and while this certainly wasn’t the first time she saw his naked chest, she finally allowed herself to take him in.</p>
<p>He had always been muscular, but she felt like his shoulders had gotten just a bit broader these last few months. He did get a new captain jacket that, granted, made him look more serious but also weirdly attractive. Maybe his white shirts had also gotten a bit tighter if she really thought about it.</p>
<p>“Are you checking me out, Brett?” Matt smirked as he walked over to her, leaning over her with one arm. “We’re not really on an even playing field here, you know?” He nuzzled his nose against her ear as he placed a few soft kisses just below it.</p>
<p>It made her giggle, and she curled further up in her spot. “We can’t get carried away again, Matt. We need to be at Molly’s in an hour.”</p>
<p>“So you’ve said when you pushed me out of bed just a few minutes ago,” Matt replied with a quirked eyebrow. “And somehow you haven’t moved from your spot. To me, it seems like I should just get back into bed, so we can continue right where you stopped us.”</p>
<p>A silly grin formed on her face, and Sylvie turned onto her back to look up to him. “Better suggestion: you should pack a bag and come home with me later. Having my own apartment has its perks.” Reaching her hand out to him, she rubbed it slowly over the small patch of chest hair. “There is no one there to interrupt us.”</p>
<p>A low growl left Matt’s throat, and he sunk on the bed next to her. Placing his hands on each side of her head, he lowered himself down to her. “I like the way you think.”</p>
<p>Their lips brushed at his words, and it sent a shiver down Sylvie’s spine, but when a cold drop of water from Matt’s hair landed on her forehead, she was reminded of the time again. They needed to get ready.</p>
<p>Stealing a quick kiss from him, the paramedic laid her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away from her body. “I’m going to change your bandage now, and then we’ll go to Molly’s. No more distracting, Mister. Please put on a shirt.”</p>
<p>Matt almost looked like he pouted for a second, but one pointed look from her was enough to get him to get up and get dressed. She followed his example, and a couple of minutes later, they were both fully dressed.</p>
<p>The captain had gotten their first aid-kit and now sat at the foot of the bed while Sylvie slowly but methodically, started to unpack it. She placed some gauze, disinfectant, tape, and a new bandage on the bed next to Matt, before stepping between the firefighter’s legs. As she tugged on the white bandage, she realized that he had taken her words seriously. The white material was barely wet, and it prompted her to pull it off with extra caution.</p>
<p>Briefly glancing at his face, she checked if it was causing him any discomfort, but instead of pain, she saw him deep in his thoughts. His forehead was wrinkled, and he was staring past her at the window behind her.</p>
<p>“You’ve got your thinking face on. What’s going on in your head?” Sylvie asked him softly, rubbing her fingers over the side of his face tenderly as she disposed of the old bandage on the bed.  </p>
<p>“Are you gonna be upset if I bring up Gabby?” Matt asked, the hesitance in his voice clear as day. He was sitting completely still, not moving an inch in his spot.</p>
<p>The question surprised her, but it didn’t make her feel as uneasy as it would have a few months back. Things were different now, and Matt had proven himself to her during the last few weeks. She had nothing to worry about anymore.</p>
<p>“Remember what we agreed on earlier? Complete and brutal honesty,” Sylvie reminded him as she cupped his cheek, waiting until their eyes met. “I trust you, Matt. I will listen to whatever it is you wanna tell me.”</p>
<p>Matt turned his face to press a kiss to the palm of her hand. “It’s nothing bad, but it’s something I want you to know.” He paused, lifting one of his hands to her hip. “I called her a while back.”</p>
<p>“You did?” Sylvie asked surprised, her hand dropping from his cheek as she grabbed some gauze and disinfectant from next to him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I told her I’m in love with you,” he confessed as his thumb brushed over the rough material of her jeans. “I told her that I screwed things up between us, but that I was working on fixing it because I knew that you’d be worth it.”</p>
<p>Sylvie was stunned at his words, her mouth opening and closing a few times. Did he really tell his ex-wife and her ex-best friend that he loved her? Just like that? That must have been one hell of a bomb dropped into her lap. It certainly couldn’t have been easy to hear.</p>
<p>“What did she say?” Sylvie asked, biting her lip.</p>
<p>Matt grimaced. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled, but I didn’t call her to get her permission. I called her out of courtesy. I think by the time we ended the call she was getting around to the idea.”</p>
<p>Pressing the gauze with the disinfectant along the edge of Matt’s cut, Sylvie chewed on her lip. “So, she wasn’t mad at me?”</p>
<p>“Why would she be mad at you?” Matt asked irritated.</p>
<p>The paramedic huffed. “Let’s go with the obvious reason. I was her friend, and you were her husband.”</p>
<p>“And she left both of us. We don’t owe her anything, Sylvie. Besides, we can’t help who we love,” Matt reasoned with her. “Gabby and I wouldn’t have worked out in the long run. One of us would have always been unhappy, and that’s just not the basis for a healthy relationship. It took me a while to realize, but I get that now.”</p>
<p>Sylvie stayed quiet again, mulling over his words. She knew he was right. They didn’t owe her anything, but a part of her still felt guilty about upsetting her old partner. She certainly didn’t mean to fall in love with Matt. It just happened, and she wouldn’t want to change it for the world. He was her best friend, and they might have only gotten officially together a couple of hours ago, but he already made her feel more valued than any of her exes before.</p>
<p>“Hey, listen, Sylvie,” Matt pulled her attention back to him by grabbing both of her hips and squeezing softly. “Gabby’s in Puerto Rico, and that’s where she will be staying. As far as I can tell, she still loves her work there, and I don’t think she’ll come back anytime soon. And even if she does, it wouldn’t change the way I feel about you.”</p>
<p>Puffing out some air, Sylvie framed his face with her hands. “I’m not worried about that, Matt. Not anymore,” she clarified, rubbing her thumb over his cheek. “I just don’t want there to be any bad blood between us.”</p>
<p>Matt’s face softened. “There isn’t. She was just thrown off by it. I don’t think it was something she expected to hear, but she said she understood why I would fall for you. I think she just needs a little time to adjust to the idea, but deep down I know she’d want us to be happy.” He mustered her for a second, his eyes scanning her face as he tilted his head to the side. “You are happy, right?”</p>
<p>A smile formed on her face, and she leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. “Implicitly. Thank you for telling me about the phone call.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want there to be any secrets between us, Sylvie,” Matt affirmed, looping his fingers through the belt loops on her jeans and pulling her closer to him. “I always wanna know what’s going on in your head, and I promise to share everything with you too.”</p>
<p>“Not talking to you was one of the things I missed most,” Sylvie confessed as she ran her fingers through the hair just above his ears. “I value your opinion and talking to you always made me feel better. It’s not something I wanna miss again.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” He placed a quick kiss on her arm, before tapping her hips. “You should finish dressing that cut now. Otherwise, we’ll be more than appropriately late.”</p>
<p>Right. They wanted to go to Molly’s. It had totally slipped her mind for a moment, something that would probably happen a lot more in the future. Matt pulled her in like no one else, and time seemed to stand still when they were together. It was fascinating.</p>
<p>Sucking in some air, Sylvie let go of his face and grabbed the bandage and the tape from the bed. She stretched the hand with the tape out towards Matt. “Hold the tape for me?”</p>
<p>He nodded at her with a smile on his face, and Sylvie focused her concentration back on dressing his cut.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Molly’s was more crowded than Sylvie had anticipated. Ritter must have gotten the word out to quite a few houses as Sylvie recognized some of the firefighters from 20 and 40. Everyone was sitting at their designated tables just as the restrictions forced them to, but there was barely an empty seat. It had been a while since the bar had attracted such a crowd.</p>
<p>Just before they went inside, Sylvie and Matt had a brief conversation about the status of their relationship. There weren’t a lot of words. Sylvie had just unwrapped her arm from Matt’s and taken his hand instead. The smile from Matt had told her that they were on the same page, and just like that, they had carried their relationship out into the world.</p>
<p>Currently, Sylvie was sitting on the last empty bar chair next to a guy she hadn’t recognized. Matt had greeted him briefly before he had gone out to the patio to see if there were some empty seats there.</p>
<p>Sylvie had just ordered her drinks from Mouch when a familiar voice sounded up next to her. “Can I get two beers please?”</p>
<p>Turning in her seat, she came into view with piercing green eyes. “Andrew,” she breathed out surprised, her hands resting flat on the bar in front of her. “Hi.”</p>
<p>She hadn’t seen the lieutenant again after their breakup. He wasn’t one of the regulars at Molly’s as most of the guys from 40 went to a bar closer to their house, and they hadn’t had any shared calls either. Their paths simply hadn’t crossed again until now, and Sylvie was just a bit unsure about the situation. Sure, they had parted on friendly terms, but she had been the one to end things with him, and Andrew had been more upset about it than she was. After all, he had been genuinely interested in her.</p>
<p>Mustering his face, Sylvie watched as a small smile spread over it, and to her relief he didn’t look surprised or uncomfortable. He must have noticed her at the bar before coming over. Maybe not with the intention to talk to her, but he wasn’t hiding from her either. That was good.</p>
<p>“Sylvie, hi. How are you doing?” Andrew asked.</p>
<p>Her lips tugged upwards at his words, and she answered in a light voice, “I’m good, thank you. What about you?”</p>
<p>“Me too. Busy with work and stuff,” he responded as he leaned his elbow onto the bar. For a second, Sylvie was afraid that they would now slip into an awkward silence, but after a short pause, Andrew continued, “That was one heck of a call yesterday. We took over the fire after Herrmann got hurt. It took us quite a while to get it under control.”</p>
<p>She hadn’t even noticed that engine 40 had been at the scene too, but she also had been preoccupied with taking care of Herrmann. They must have either gotten there after ambo had left the scene or maybe they had been there all along. Either way, it made a lot more sense now to see him tonight.</p>
<p>Puffing out some air, Sylvie nodded, “It was pretty scary. Almost everyone was inside when the explosion happened. It’s a wonder that no one else got hurt. Apart from Herrmann, Matt was the only one who had to be stitched up.”</p>
<p>Mouch took that moment to place two whiskeys in front of Sylvie before reaching back to the bar and grabbing two beers to place in front of Andrew. The older man winked at her just as he walked off to the other end of the bar. He had seen Matt and her walking in together, and this was his way of telling her he was happy for her. Mouch had always been a good friend.</p>
<p>Next to her, Andrew reached for one of the beer bottles, wrapping his hand around it. He averted his eyes onto the bottle as he said, “So, you and the captain worked things out?”</p>
<p>A blush formed on Sylvie’s cheeks, and she reached for one of the whiskeys in front of her. She quickly took a small sip before placing the glass back onto the bar. Talking about your current partner with your ex was probably always gonna be a bit awkward.</p>
<p>“Uhm, we did,” Sylvie confirmed with a gentle smile at the thought of Matt. Scrunching up her nose, she huffed softly, “I’m sorry again that you got kind of in the middle of it. I’m a bit embarrassed that it was this obvious to everyone around us. I really didn’t mean to hurt you, Andrew.”</p>
<p>The lieutenant shook his head hastily, lifting his hand in front of him. “No, it’s fine. We gave it a try, but your heart already belonged to someone else. You ended it when you knew it wouldn’t work out, and I’m thankful for that. I’m glad you’re happy now. You deserve it.”</p>
<p>His words reminded Sylvie why she had liked the dark-haired man so much in the first place. He was a genuinely nice guy who cared more about others than about his own feelings. Even after breaking up with him and now hearing that she was with another guy, he still seemed happy for her. It was a shame that he was still single.</p>
<p>“Well, thank you. And I still believe there is someone out there for you too. You’ll find her soon,” Sylvie assured him with a soft smile. “You’re a great guy, Andrew. I’m glad I got to meet you.”</p>
<p>“Me too, Sylvie Brett. Casey’s lucky to have you.”</p>
<p>“We’re lucky to have each other,” Sylvie agreed as she spied Matt out of the corner of her eyes. “Speaking of the devil.”</p>
<p>The captain was walking towards them with a look of curiosity on his face. One of his eyebrows was raised slightly, and he slowed his pace, obviously giving her the choice to prolong her talk with Andrew without him. It was thoughtful of him but so incredibly typical for him that it made her chuckle softly.</p>
<p>Giving him a small nod, she blinked at him, and he immediately continued his path towards them. Seconds later, he stopped next to her, his hand sliding over her back. He smiled at her softly in greeting before turning his focus towards Andrew.</p>
<p>“Reed. It’s good to see you again,” Matt offered, reaching his hand out towards the other man. “I heard you took over the scene yesterday. Appreciate it.”</p>
<p>“Captain,” Andrew acknowledged him, grabbing his hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “We were happy to help. I’m glad Herrmann’s doing better.”</p>
<p>“He’s going to have a long recovery, but the doctors are positive that he’s gonna bounce back,” Matt told him as he pulled back his hand.</p>
<p>“That’s great news. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for him. Or anyone from 40. Herrmann’s one of the good ones.”</p>
<p>Sylvie felt herself zone out as the conversation between the two men felt a bit surreal to her. The last time Matt had anything to do with Reed or even heard about him, he had been jealous and lashed out at Sylvie with his words, and in retrospect that might have been when they had reached their low. It stood in stark contrast to his behavior now as the captain was currently having a civilized conversation with Andrew.</p>
<p>It also represented the growth in their relationship, and Sylvie felt a sense of peace settle deep inside her body. They had made it. No matter how agonizing and overwhelmingly hopeless their situation had been, they had gotten through it. Matt had put in a lot of work during these last couple of weeks, getting her to fully trust him again, and it made her appreciate him even more.</p>
<p>“Well, I should get back to my friends. It was nice to talk to you again, Sylvie,” Andrew pulled Sylvie out of her thoughts as he addressed her with a smile before giving Matt a curt nod. “Captain.”</p>
<p>Sylvie had just enough time to plaster her own smile onto her face before Andrew walked away from them towards the other end of the bar. She was still deep in her thoughts when Matt stepped closer to her until his front was pressed to her side. His hand was rubbing circles onto her back, and he looked at her with his head tilted to the side.</p>
<p>“You doing OK?”</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, Sylvie nodded as she slipped her arm around his back. It amazed her how well Matt could already read her, but if she was honest, they had always been able to read each other well. It felt like the easiest thing in the world.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Matt,” she breathed as their eyes locked.</p>
<p>His forehead wrinkled. “For what?”</p>
<p>“For putting in the work and for never giving up on us.” She reached out to trail her fingers over his cheek. “I know it couldn’t have been easy, and I want you to know that I appreciate it. It means a lot to me.”</p>
<p>Matt pressed his lips into a tight line. “Talking with the chaplain wasn’t always easy, and I think I’m not ready to stop seeing him yet, but it’s been worth it.” He linked his hand with hers in her lap as his other hand rubbed between her shoulder blades. “You’ll always be worth it. Thank you for loving me, Sylvie.”</p>
<p>Her eyes watered at his words, and she pulled in a steadying breath as she leaned her head against his chest. Matt kissed the top of her head, his hand resting on her neck with his fingers laying over her shoulder.</p>
<p>For a moment, they stayed in their little bubble, but a few minutes later, someone called out Matt’s name, and when Sylvie looked up, she saw Joe standing in the doorway towards the patio.</p>
<p>“Why are you guys taking so long? The others are waiting. Move it,” Cruz yelled at them from a few feet away, not bothering to wait for their answer as he disappeared in the next second.</p>
<p>Confused, Sylvie drew back from Matt. “What’s up with him?”</p>
<p>“Apparently, he’s got something to share. I had strict orders to get you back there,” Matt explained with a shrug. He grabbed their drinks from the bar, nodding towards the back exit. “We should go. You know how Cruz gets when he’s nervous.”</p>
<p>Sylvie chuckled. “I do know. I lived with him for over three years.”</p>
<p>Shrugging her jacket back on, Sylvie jumped off from her chair. Together, they made their way outside, and Sylvie stirred them towards the long table where several of their friends and Joe and Chloe were sitting. Upon seeing them, Joe ushered Tony and Capp further down the bench so Matt and Sylvie could squeeze in beside him. It was a tight fit, but soon Sylvie was leaning against Matt’s side with her hand rubbing his thigh.</p>
<p>None of their friends commented on their new and very obvious closeness. Matt’s arm was firmly wrapped around her back, holding her securely against him, and it didn’t leave any more suggestions to the status of their relationship.</p>
<p>Chloe, who sat at the head of the table with just Joe between them, gave Sylvie a quick wink before suggestively wiggling her eyebrows with a smirk. Joe though didn’t seem to realize as he was shifting nervously on the bench beside her.</p>
<p>“Are you OK, Joe? You seem a bit nervous,” Sylvie asked carefully while mustering her friend with a wrinkle between her eyes.</p>
<p>It prompted the squad member to jump up from his spot, his hands hitting the table before he blurted out, “Chloe’s pregnant. We’re having a baby.”</p>
<p>His voice rang loudly through the air, and the entire patio fell silent for a second, until Mackey squealed from down the table, jumping up from her spot and running towards Joe and Chloe. Soon, everyone else joined in, and a roar went through the air.</p>
<p>A beam crossed her face, and Sylvie felt intense joy spread through her for her friends. It must have been one of the best news they had gotten in a while, and she turned towards Matt, hitting his thigh repeatedly.</p>
<p>“They are having a baby,” she squealed just like Mackey. “We’re getting another firehouse baby!”</p>
<p>Matt grinned at her, amusement dancing over his face. “I heard it too. I guess this year is turning out better than the last.” He pulled her closer for a second, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before drawing back again.</p>
<p>“I’m so excited!”</p>
<p>The next minutes were a blur for Sylvie. After jumping up from her spot, she hugged Joe and Chloe, congratulating them on their little bundle of joy, and then Stella was next to her, hugging her from behind as they basked in the happy news together.</p>
<p>A bit later, when everyone had settled down again, Sylvie found herself tugged into Matt’s side once more, her head resting against his shoulder as she let the day wash over her. So much had happened, but she wouldn’t want to change it for the world.</p>
<p>With Matt and the rest of her 51 family by her side, she felt absolutely content. And no matter what life would throw at them next, she knew she was 100% ready for it.</p>
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